AN historic stately home near Burton has been snapped up by the owner and chairman of Nottingham Forest Football Club – in a deal worth around £4 million.

Dunstall Hall came into the ownership of Fawaz Al Hasawi after he bought it through London company Strutt and Parker.

The 12-bedroom grade II* listed building has been on the market for more than a year. The sellers were forced to drop the price by £1 million earlier this year, in a bid to attract buyers.

It is understood the Kuwaiti businessman will live in the 18th century mansion for some of the year, spending the rest of the time in his home country.

Rumours have been rife for some time that the residence had been sold, but it remained on the market.

The sale went through very recently.

With the house, Mr Al Hasawi will get an integrated one-bedroom apartment, a former stable block – now a three-bedroom cottage, offices, garages, and lands including a cricket pitch, gardens, a lake and parkland of around 35 acres.

The ground floor of the building has been used as a wedding venue, under the ownership of entrepreneur Barry Morgan, but it is not known whether this will continue with Mr Al Hasawi in charge at the house.

It has not been possible to contact the businessman.

Records of Dunstall estate date back to the 12th century. The site was bought by Richard Arkwright junior, son of the famous industrialist, for his son Charles in 1814. Charles Arkwright went on to become high sheriff of Staffordshire.

Race course tycoon Sit Stanley Clarke owned the hall for several years.

Mr Al Hasawi took over at the helm of Nottingham Forest Football Club in December 2012, succeeding his cousin.